


Mistletoe

by Panda365



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Oblivious Bruce Banner, One Shot, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28092513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panda365/pseuds/Panda365
Summary: Natasha hates raw conversations. And Bruce isn’t a mind reader.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37
Collections: Brucemas 2020





	Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 of Brucemas2020! 
> 
> Happy Brutasha Day! Eeek!

Wanda and Vision are the last to arrive for the Christmas party being hosted by Tony and Pepper Stark. Morgan is "loose" and Cooper Barton is completely over being the babysitter for Nathaniel.

Seeing everyone paired off is making Natasha sick as she observes quietly from the kitchen. Even the stubborn and usually composed  Steve Rogers is hanging on Bucky Barnes on the edge of the sofa. 

A brief prodding conversation about relationships with Clint and Laura leaves her with a fake smile. When the reason for her rage comes walking over with a gentle grin, glasses in hand, she throws up a bit in her mouth. It only triggers her further when Bruce tries to start a conversation.

"How are you?"

She scoffs. "Excuse me?"

"Last night," Bruce begins, unsure of her mood. "You kinda... stormed off."

That's not quite how it went down. After two triple chocolate brownies and eight glasses of wine along with some passive aggressive remarks about affection, he still can't take a hint.

Her tongue rolls over her cheek. His agreeing to date with these obscure, insane and unspoken rules are beginning to irk her.

She can't stay over and when she does he takes the couch. He rarely touches her with the exception of an awkward hug, hello and goodbye. He won't cuddle, and kissing is like pulling teeth. Not that she generally minds the lack of PDA in public, but this innate fear of hurting her in some way needs to stop. She understands his problem but honest conversation without the manipulating factor is not her strong suit. And she cares about him too much to use any of the spy tactics.

Natasha chuckles, in no mood to discuss things in the presence of their team. "Seriously."

"What?" Bruce whispers, honestly oblivious.

Pepper runs between them, trying to get Tony's attention. Natasha groans inwardly before moving off into the den, tilting her head for Bruce to follow her.

They escape to the quiet space, the room dark when she grits her teeth and talks through them. "What is wrong with you?! I was being as explicit as I could have possibly been last night- you can't take a hint."

"Well, I need you to be more explicit, because I don't know what you want!"

She shakes his shoulder. "Look at Wanda."

Bruce can't keep a straight face looking over her urging, saying, "I feel like a third wheel- this is weird."

"Why?" she asks. "Why do you feel like a third wheel?"

"She's sucking on my 'son's' face and you're making me watch this- it's weird."

Natasha throws her hands in the air. He's hopeless. She tugs at her skirt with a glare.

"You're not stupid, Bruce."

"Thanks?"

He looks about the room as she huffs and abruptly leaves him with his thoughts and no further explanation.

. . . . . . . . .

A techy conversation with Tony over dinner, a discussion about John Phoenix's badge he kept presenting, a voluntary embrace for Pepper, Thor even, and Natasha's eyes are sore from their non-stop rolling.

Mid-cleanup nearing the end of the event and she's trying to tear down the mistletoe from the hallway in a fit. Natasha is on her tiptoes and she still can't reach. She can sense his presence, smell the cologne off his blazer.

She smirks, she can't help it.

"I've been thinking," she mumbles, flicking a leaf she's successfully torn down.

"Oh?" He lifts an eyebrow.

"You clearly don't trust me. So maybe you should go find someone else to date-"

"Woah, woah," he cuts her off. "Nat. Hey, Nat." He reaches to take her hands, finally sensing the tension in her tone.

She shakes her head with a shrug and pulls out of his reach. "You are totally fine around everyone but me."

"I trust you, but-"

"Do not start with the pity party, I don't want an invitation."

"'Pity party'? Nat, wait."

She turns away. He sighs.

"Natasha?"

She chuckles through her words and reaches for another edge of that damn mistletoe. "I'm sorry I ask for too much. I'm sorry for wanting you to hold me. I'm sorry- no, I'm not sorry. I shouldn't be sorry for this. This should be normal everyday occurrences with your girlfriend..."

She's jumping now and still too short to reach the plastic mistletoe. He points at it.

"Do you want help?"

"No."

"For the record, you haven't asked me for any of this-"

"I'm not sorry for wanting you to stay in bed with me at night instead of running off to the couch- shut up, I'm talking!"

"Yes ma'am." He crosses his arms and waits. It's not how he imagined her starting a conversation. But she's talking nonetheless.

Natasha reaches, the leaves brushing her fingertips. "I'm sorry you can't trust yourself enough- for him- not to hurt me. Because he doesn't hurt me. He's fine. He touches my hand-"

"It's Christmas, let's not invite the hulk-"

"I'm still talking! I'm mad at you."

"No way."

"You want me to be explicit?! I'll give you 'explicit'. It's a rare occasion when you'll kiss me. You won't hold me because you're terrified of hurting me? I assume? Why is it so hard for you to love and trust yourself as much as I do?!"

He's taken aback, hands falling slowly. She blushes with her eyes fixating on his as she shifts her body uneasily. Natasha lifts her hand and checks her palm, a piece of Pepper's decoration stuck under her skin. She picks at it rather than acknowledge what she's just said.

Bruce extends a hand and she calmly lets him take hers, feeling the piece of plastic with a gentle touch and kind concern. She's had so much worse and she can hardly feel this. But he takes as much care in removing the splinter as he does a bullet from her hip.

He knows why she's upset and he also knows she's just slipped with the nicest thing he's ever heard her say.

Bruce makes eye contact, brushing the stray hair behind her ear when he mumbles above a whisper, "I didn't... realize... you liked affection."

"Why not?" she scoffs, calmer now that he finally understands her problem.

He shrugs casually, carefully pinching her skin to remove the tiny spec, and says, "For one thing, you're an independent, successful leader who doesn't need anyone else. You also have a suspiciously evil side eye anytime I get too close…"

"This one?"

"Yep," he laughs over her demonstration. "The fact that you even let me take you out is still blowing my mind."

Her eyes look down at the piece of plastic as she takes it in between her fingertips.

"I want to date you- ask me 'why' for the hundredth time and I swear I will slap you so hard you'll be knocked out in seconds."

He cringes. "And for as terrifying as that is, you know I can raise you one."

"Sorry for bringing it up." She tucks her chin to her chest humbly. “And I'm sorry for losing my temper."

"So...you... love me?"

He grins when she neither confirms nor denies, admiring the color of her eyes as he touches her cheek and the way she melts over his touch.

"I appreciate it when you talk to me, Natasha. I'm not a mind reader. Though if it were somehow possible, I could learn-"

She rolls her eyes one more time, wrapping her arms up around his neck. "You are extremely attentive, so I made the assumption you'd pick up on my problem. I'm not so good at this talking thing. I don't do relationships and I suck at this, all of it."

He holds her waist, content not to receive the infamous side eye. "For what it's worth," he says, "I also want you to love yourself as much as I do."

She tilts her head over his genuine sentiment. "So you love me?"

He answers with a coy shrug, playing her game, and now it's her move.

Natasha eyes the half torn-down decoration above them and Bruce takes the hint with a subtle wink. She bites her lip as he moves in and pulls her close to gently capture her lips with his own.


End file.
